First Q-53 Radar Equipped With Gallium Nitride Delivered To U.S. Army

Not only is the AN/TPQ-53 system the most modern radar deployed by the U.S. Army, it is now poised to be the first and only Army radar system operating with Gallium Nitride (GaN).

“Lockheed Martin recently delivered the first Q-53 system to the U.S. Army equipped with GaN,” said Mark Mekker, director, Lockheed Martin Army radar programs. “This critical upgrade will enable the Army to continuously grow and enhance the system’s capabilities to meet changing mission needs.”

GaN transmit-receive modules will provide the radar with additional power, reliability and the possibility for enhanced capabilities, including extended range, counterfire target acquisition (CTA) and multi-mission, which delivers simultaneous CTA and air surveillance. The systems upgraded with GaN are part of the Lot 3 contract awarded in 2018.

“We realize how critical it is to develop and build these radars so they will be responsive to the evolving operational demands and threats our deployed troops face every day,” said Mekker. “Lockheed Martin’s open, scalable radar architecture is the cornerstone of the systems’ designs and will allow for future upgrades that will not only extend the lives of the radars—but evolve their capabilities over the next 40 years.”